Variable display or demonstrating device.



E. G. HUDSON. VARIABLE DISPLAY 0R DEMONSTRATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED nsc.2,191s.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

EVERETT G. HUDS01\T,'OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VIAIBLE DISPLAY OR DEMONSTRATING DEVICE.

aesaeaa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1L5, 191%.

Application filed December 2, 1915. Serial No. 64,689.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Evnnnrr G. Hpnsou, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Variable Display or Demonstrating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide, particularly for the use of salesmen, a device whereby a variable picture of an article of merchandise, such as a shoe, may be readily produced by the salesman and exhibited to a customer, the device including a partially transparent unmodified picture produced by the assemblage of an opaque body sheet which has an aperture shaped withreference to the article, and a transparent sheet covering the aperture and provided with suitable pictorial indicia, and said picture being capable of modification as to color, texture, etc., by backing sheets I placed behind the transparent sheet and usable interchangeably, the whole constituting a compact article adapted to be con- I veniently carried with a large number of similar articles.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificat1on,-

Figure 1 represents a side view of the opaque body sheet. v

Fig. 2 represents a section on the line 2-'2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a. side view of the transparent sheet. I I

Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 4:& of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 represents a side view of the complete device.

Fig. 6 represents a section on the line 66 of F1 5..

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive: 12 represents a flat sheet which may be of cardboard or other suitable material, and is "provided with an aperture 13 shaped with reference to an article of merchandise, such as a shoe. The front side of the sheet 12 bears pictorial indicia cooperating w1th the aperture 13 informing an incomplete picture of the said article. As here shown, said indicia include representations of the heel 1, the sole edge 2, and the portlons 3 and 4 of the foot-receiving openmg, the shoe repremted ha a low-out upper,

foot-receiving opening being bridged by an instep strap. The said indicia may be applied by printing photographically or otherwise, or by painting, or in any other suitable way. The edges of the aperture 13 are shaped to cooperate with said indicia in forming an incomplete or interrupted picure.

The body sheet 12 thus treated, when viewed alone, presents a picture, the portions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of which are complete, while the portion bounded by the margin of the aperture 13 is vacant or incomplete, certain details being missing. The edge portions 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the aperture constitute details of the picture, other details of which are furnished by the portions 1, 2, 3 and 4:. 15 represents a transparent sheet preferably of flexible material such as celluloid, formed to cover the aperture 13, and cemented or otherwise attached to the back of the bod sheet 12.

The portion of the transparent sheet, which is exposed and visible through the aperture 13, bears indicia supplying the missingdetails of the picture such as the edges 16 and 17 of parts of the upper, the end portion 18 of the instep strap, the strap buttonhole 19, the button 20, and the lines of stitches 21. The assembled sheets 12 and 15 therefore present a picture of the article which shows all the details thereof, as shown by Fig. 5. w

The indicia on the sheet 15 constitute a skeleton picture portion made up principally of fine lines surrounded by transparent portionsof the sheet so that a nearly unobstructed view is had through the exposed portion of the transparent sheet.

23 represents a backing sheet or of material'entering into the construction of the pictured article, said material being used for example for the vamp, quarters, and instep strap of a shoe. The backing sheet is formed to cover the back of the exposed portion of the transparent sheet and is margmally covered and concealed by the body assembled sheets 12 and 15,and with a plurality or series of backin sheets or swatches 23 each difi'ering from t e other, is able to quickly present a realistic picture of, the article he desires to sell, and to vary the picture by using different backing sheets interchangeably, so that the customer, who may be-a shoe jobber or retailer, is enabled, without seeing actual sample shoes, to order shoes with uppers made of any of the materials used for the backing sheets.

The transparent sheet furnishes a simple, compact, convenient and durable means for superimposing on the backing sheet picture details, breaking-the monotony of the back this particular, as it is quite obvious that the ornamentation surrounding the aperture may be entirel omittedv from that positionand all applie to the sheet 15.

While ][,have shown and described a shoe as the pictured article, I do not limit myself thereto, it being obvious that the invention may be embodied in devices representing a variety of articles of merchandise commonly,

sold by the aid of samples, the form of the aperture in the body sheet and the details of the picture being suited to the pictured article.

I claim: Y

A variable display or demonstrating device comprising a body sheet of opaque material havin an aperture shaped to the outline of the 'orm to be illustrated, thearea bounded by the edges of said aperture being unobstructed, a transparent sheet provided with an opaque design jcomplemental to the contour of said aperture and positioned to.

be displayed opposite the aperture and a plurality of backing sheets, each differing from the other, and each capable of being selectively placed back of the transparent sheet to produce independently 'character- -ized pictures of the article depicted by the body and transparent sheets.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature.

EVERETT e. HUDSON. 

